Klarinet Archive - Posting 000288.txt from 2003/01

From: Bill Hausmann <bhausmann1@-----.net>
Subj: RE: [kl] Poor Qlty. Instruments, Bigotry & Dreams
Date: Sun, 19 Jan 2003 10:53:26 -0500

At 08:05 AM 1/13/2003 -0800, Lombard, Jennifer wrote:
>I have a brother who quit for a different reason: "It wasn't fun
>anymore"... I have a sister who is well on her way as well...Not only do the
>kids feel inadequate as the result of poor instruments and the constant
>expectations of the parents/music teachers at 9th grade or so, but the music
>gets more difficult and they realize that it is not elementary band anymore.
>My father is a musician, and they were both afraid to tell him that they
>wanted to quit for fear of him getting disappointed and angry.
>
>Has anyone else experienced this?

When my own daughters wanted to quit band because the director was
burned-out hulk of a teacher, I'm sure they experience the same
trepidation. But I was reasonable. I tried to encourage them to stay the
course, but I also had seen the teacher in class. He was a Jekyll and Hyde
sort -- he would do a marvelous bit of teaching on one side of the
classroom, then immediately turn to the other side and berate the students
in such a completely BONEHEADED manner that it was literally amazing! I
could see the problem: If he was rotten ALL the time, they would be able
to blow him off, but a 6th-grader's ego is much too delicate to be able to
withstand the constantly shifting winds. I told my daughters there was no
way I could or would FORCE them to stay on with him. As I said before,
they both quit band, moved to chorus, and had a marvelous time, including
travelling to Europe with Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp vocal groups. And they
STILL enjoy performing music.

>My short-term goal is to be a music teacher, directing a band, and teaching
>kids that music can be fun with the proper instrument, the right attitude,
>and lots of fun. :)

I have always said, "If band isn't fun, you are not doing it right."

Bill Hausmann

If you have to mic a saxophone, the rest of the band is TOO LOUD!

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